Beavers says in a statement that Tennessee conservatives are "looking for bold leadership." The 69-year-old Beavers has been in the Senate since 2002.

Republican businessmen Randy Boyd and Bill Lee have joined the field seeking to succeed term-limited Gov. Bill Haslam next year. State Sen. Mark Green of Ashland City had put his bid on ice while unsuccessfully seeking confirmation as President Donald Trump's pick for Army secretary. Green has set a Monday deadline to announce whether he will reboot his tea party-style campaign.

Former Nashville mayor Karl Dean was the first Democrat to enter the governor's race.